


con my way into your heart

by sbanon



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: M/M, bribri is involved in some shady business, my poor attempt at mystery but it'll probably just be a romcom type of story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:41:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27418177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sbanon/pseuds/sbanon
Summary: This is a story in which Younghyun is an aspiring musician who is in desperate need of money, so he gets tempted into working for a shady business. Unfortunately for him, detective Park Sungjin has been assigned to bust said shady business. But fortunately for Younghyun, the detective offers him a bail out in exchange of doing a very special task.
Relationships: Kang Younghyun | Young K/Park Sungjin
Comments: 3
Kudos: 28





	1. crossing paths

At twenty-eight, Detective Park Sungjin has been working for the Busan Police for six years now. Ever since he first started he has already been assigned to the Homicide Division, and has won the favor of most of the higher-ups at the station. With his quick-wittedness and his impressive deducting skills, he closed more cases than most of his peers. To further add to his already perfect track record, Sungjin also managed to solve several cold cases in the last three years, one of which was a case of an unidentified murder victim that had grown cold for over eighty years already. Although the perpetrator had long since passed away, the victim’s remaining relatives finally got the closure that they had been deprived of for so long.

It is no secret, however, that Detective Sungjin has a penchant for getting a bit too invested in the cases assigned to him. Dedication to one’s goal is usually not a bad thing but when it becomes excessive, causing someone to forget everything else, including their own well-being, in pursuit of achieving said goal, that is when dedication becomes a problem.

For Sungjin, the previous year is undoubtedly the worst year of his career. 

A high profile case of a missing woman named Hong Dabin, and her young daughter had been transferred under his care due to the investigators’ belief that they were already deceased. Sungjin had been made the leader of the team assigned on this case, and they immediately identified the woman’s partner of ten years to be the prime suspect. He was the only one who had no strong alibi on the night of their disappearance and he had admitted that he had been having an affair with Dabin’s much younger niece. Sungjin and his team focused on the man, tailing him and interrogating him on several occasions until one day, the body of Dabin and her little daughter had been found decomposing buried in shallow graves in the outskirts of Daegu. An overwhelming amount of forensic evidences forced Sungjin and his team to rule Dabin’s partner out as the murderer. 

As a result, the public had been outraged; they accused the investigators of obsessively singling out the wrong person. The media had a field day, shredding Sungjin and his team to pieces, accusing them of being a number of things from being incompetent to being corrupt. The Busan police had become a laughing stock overnight and because of his immense desire to redeem their reputation, Sungjin threw himself into the case, working insanely long hours just to find the murderer. 

Things took a turn to the absolute worst when Sungjin received an anonymous tip through his personal phone. The tip claimed that the allegations about the police force was true and that the real murderer is an influential person who is well-connected with the Busan police officials. Sungjin quickly became paranoid, growing increasingly suspicious that his colleagues could have been sabotaging the progress of the case; he lost sleep and started losing weight as well. 

It had gotten so bad that their commander motioned for him to be removed from the case. This motion was quickly approved and the higher-ups even moved him into a completely different division. 

Now, Sungjin is in the organized crime division. The cases here are not as gruesome as the ones in homicide, but it could still get pretty messy and dangerous since they are dealing with powerful groups who are not afraid to play dirty. Sungjin quickly notices, however, how he never gets assigned to bigger cases. His first task had been to tail a hacker who works for an organization of online scammers; they do all sorts of scamming from phishing schemes to infiltrating the bank accounts of unsuspecting victims. 

It did not take long for Sungjin and his team to imprison the scammers and shut down buildings where they operated from. Since then, Sungjin is yet to be given a new assignment, so he just idles at the station, offering to help colleagues in any way that he can. He is grateful for the significantly more peaceful life that he is living at the moment, but days are starting to drag on and get monotonous. 

Moreover, Sungjin has so much time in his hands now that he is finding it more difficult to ignore the texts and calls of his family. 

Calls from his older sister, Hana, are always welcome since she genuinely cares about Sungjin’s wellbeing and just wants to update him about her life; Sungjin really likes hearing stories about his new nephew. The calls from his Grandfather are manageable; the old man only wants to know how his favorite grandson is fairing. Sure, he would still occasionally attempt to make Sungjin take over their business empire but he at least respects it whenever Sungjin would decline.

Sungjin’s father, Park Byungman, on the other hand, is a whole different story that Sungjin would rather not delve into. For now, it would suffice to simply state that they are definitely not on good terms.

Today, however, one particular message from Byungman catches Sungjin’s attention. It’s regarding his Grandfather; apparently, he had a stroke the other day and is now requesting Sungjin's presence at his residence—the residence located just a few minutes away from Sungjin’s location. Rather than raising an alarm in Sungjin’s mind, the message only managed to raise Sungjin’s eyebrow. If it is true that his grandfather has had a stroke, his sister would have surely called him too or rather, he would have already come across a news article talking about it. His grandfather is, after all, a prominent tycoon in the country. 

Sungjin brushes it off, thinking that it’s just one of his father’s antics, merely trying to provoke a reaction out of him. After all, it is not unlike Byungman to be deceitful just to get what he wants. Sungjin locks his screen and puts the device away, opting to just go around the division and ask around if he could be of service to any of his colleagues. It does not take long, however, for Sungjin to have something to do. 

Park Jaehyung, one of the senior detectives in the organized crime division and also Sungjin’s ex-lover (yet another story that Sungjin would rather not delve into for the time being), approaches Sungjin even before he could leave his desk. He has transparent blue folders filled with documents in his hands and quickly gives one to Sungjin. He tilts his brunette head to the side, gesturing for Sungjin to follow him to his desk. Upon arriving there, Jaehyung shoves the clutter—crumpled post-its, paper clips, pens, etc.— into a drawer and props open his transparent folder. Sungjin does the same and, to his delight, sees that it contains documents about a new case.

“We received a tip from a concerned citizen regarding a shop downtown,” Jaehyung says, adjusting his horn-rimmed glasses so that it rests higher upon his narrow nose. “Apparently, the fortune-telling part of the place is only a cover to the more shady part of their business. After getting your fortune told, they will try to sell ‘magical’ stuff to the unsuspecting victim. They have potions, ointments and food supplements with excessive claims.”

Sungjin raises an eyebrow. Although it might sound a bit comical, fortune-telling does not have that much of a difference from the usual scams that most people consider as illegal. Personally, Sungjin never believed in these oracles who claim to know how one’s future will unfold, so the moment he hears fortune-telling, he is already certain that the concerned citizen is within their rights to report this to the police.

“I’ve already approached intel and after combing through our records, it seems as though this is one of the many trademark moduses of a notorious underground group known as the Brotherhood of Beom-Cheon Alliance or more commonly known as the 2BA,” Jaehyung continues as Sungjin flips through pages and pages of information. 

“Now that is a pretty unfortunate choice of a name” Sungjin snorts.

He looks up with a lopsided grin. He is not even expecting Jaehyung to outright laugh with him; Sungjin is just hoping to get at least one smile—heck, even a twitch of his lips would do. The senior detective, however, is not smiling at all. Instead, he is giving Sungjin a deadpan look. 

“Come on,” Sungjin sighs, looking away in disappointment. “I was expecting for street gangs to come up with something less cheesy.”

“Sungjin, they are not your run-of-the-mill angsty teenagers who act all tough just to appear cool or to be feared by local nerds. These are criminals,” Jaehyung lectures. “They might seem silly to you because they have a fortune-telling business as a cover up for whatever it is that they are doing now, but may I just inform you that 2BA is the same group that our team arrested two years ago for selling contraband party drugs in clubs, as well as trafficking minors and women.

“I know you come from a straightforward division where the outcomes of the crimes you investigate are clear the moment you step foot at the scene. I also understand that you do not perceive organized crime to be as serious, but this isn’t just some spinster trying to make a quick buck by making fake predictions and selling people some snake oil afterwards. It could get more sinister than that, _detective_.”

Sungjin wants to pull at his hair and bang his forehead on Jaehyung’s desk. For fuck’s sake! He was just trying to elicit a chuckle but all he got is an earful of lecture. Great.

“Sorry,” Sungjin says, making a mental note about how he should not make further attempts at humoring his uptight ex ever again. Especially at their workplace. 

After clearing his throat, Sungjin says, “Do we have instructions to go undercover, then?”

“Yes,” Jaehyung says, still sounding a bit curt as he browses through the documents.

“My face had been all over the local news last month, though. Don’t you think whoever is behind this shady fortune-telling place might be on their guard once they see me poking my nose in their business?” Sungjin says. 

Jaehyung purses his lips, biting back the urge to say that it would indeed raise anyone’s suspicions to see Sungjin’s large nose poking in their business. It is inappropriate to drop a joke like that after he sort of called Sungjin out for making fun of 2BA’s name.

After clearing his throat, Jaehyung says, “They are familiar with my face and the rest of the guys’ faces here in the division. Pretty sure they have a bulletin board with our pictures on it so that their accomplices know who to look out for. You, however, are a new face in the organized crime division. You may be our best bet.”

Even though he still thinks that it is pretty risky, especially considering the fact at how public the news of his transfer to another division had been, Sungjin decides not to protest anymore. He already irritated Jaehyung once today and he most certainly does not want to risk irritating him a second time.

“Alright, when?” Sungjin asks, turning a page in the file where a picture of the shop’s facade is printed.

“We’ll make initial contact tomorrow.” 

“Tomorrow? Isn’t it a bit too soon?”

“We have enough information to back us up already. The sooner the better. We should act before an innocent person gets into serious trouble.”

*

A day in the life of one Kang Younghyun is not easy. He is indeed a fine young man in his early twenties; he has a lot of charms thanks to his perfect bone structure and quaint features. He can play several musical instruments including guitar and bass, and he is also blessed with a voice as sweet and sultry as honey. It would be incorrect to assume that Younghyun is probably not blessed with an intelligent mind, that his head is as empty as an echoey chamber. Far from it, he actually graduated high school at the top of his class and got offered a scholarship by a prestigious business university (which Younghyun declined for he planned to do something different with his life).

It is natural to suppose, then, that someone like Younghyun would be successful in whatever task he chooses to endeavor. But, like what was said just a few sentences ago in the previous paragraph, a day in the life of one Kang Younghyun is not easy. 

After opting to not further his education, Younghyun embarked on a journey to seek success as a musician. Younghyun is overflowing with passion and emotion, and he wishes to write songs about them and sing those songs to a huge audience so that he may relay to the world the raging feelings within him. He soon found out, though, that following his dreams would not be as easy as he initially thought it would be.

Younghyun got into an entertainment company right after he graduated high school but being an apprentice in that place was no different than selling your soul to the devil. Younghyun could not write about the things that he wanted to write about, was forced to change his singing style and, the thing that really drove the nail into the coffin, the very last straw, was when he was told that he needed to stop eating so much. 

The moment they started telling him that he could no longer eat six packs of ramyeon was the moment Younghyun decided that he would just become an independent musician. With his talent and passion—and of course, his pretty face—Younghyun was so certain that his music would be recognized eventually. 

No matter how long it would take, Younghyun was determined to follow his dreams.

Well, turns out, emotion, passion and a pretty face are not enough to feed a hungry stomach. A lot of shit hit the fan and the business of Younghyun’s father, Hodong, went bankrupt a couple of years ago, subsequently burying them in even more debt. Hodong, blinded with despair, turned to loan sharks for help. He tried using the loaned money to start a new business, but unfortunately, that plan failed epicly and now, big, scary loan sharks are after him. 

Hodong sought refuge somewhere in South America while Younghyun bravely stayed behind because he could not just abandon his dreams! Besides, he was not the one in debt to these loan sharks so there would be no reason for them to go after his ass, right?

Wrong.

“When the fuck are you planning to pay the rest of your good-for-nothing father’s debt, you little sneak?” 

A week after his father escaped to South America, the loan sharks quickly tracked Younghyun down, demanding that he take over paying the debt. At first, Younghyun courageously refused to give them even a single penny but he soon discovered that these loan sharks were not to be messed with or be taken lightly. Younghyun tried evading them, moving from town to town, city to city, but they would always manage to find him; even now that he is hiding out in a small town in Busan, they still managed to locate him. 

Because of this constant chase, Younghyun’s dream of becoming a musician has been put on hold as well. How could he make music when he is too busy working like a cow, trying to earn enough money not only to feed himself but also to pay his father’s debt?

“I already gave you thousands of dollars,” Younghyun says as he got cornered further into the dark alley.

The beefy loan shark who Younghyun thinks is called ‘Rocky’ closes in on him, cracking his beefy knuckles in the process while his equally buff goons are sneering behind him like hyenas. There are at least five of them and even though Younghyun knows how to fight, he cannot possibly take on all of them. Soon, Younghyun’s back collides with the alleyway’s wall. He gulps as his eyes try to look for an escape route. Rocky laughs, long teeth showing through his chapped lips. 

“Do you really think that your measly payments have been enough? Your father owes us more than that,” Rocky says. 

He is now just a few inches away and Younghyun feels a bit dizzy at the putrid smell of his sweat. Rocky’s stubby and calloused finger touches Younghyun’s chin, willing him to look up at yellowish eyes. Younghyun cannot help the revolted shudder that runs down his spine when the man smirks.

“We have already been kind enough to knock off the cost of the interest because you are such a pretty little thing,” Rocky says, inciting more disgust in Younghyun. “So do yourself a favor and pay us back soon or…”

Rocky pauses, his yellowish eyes suggestively trailing down Younghyun’s body before continuing. 

“...we’ll take our payment some other way,” he says. “Are we clear on that, beautiful?”

Unable to take it anymore, Younghyun pushes the beefy man away with all his might, causing him to let go of his chin and stagger a good two feet away from him. Instead of getting angry, Rocky lets out a laugh. To Younghyun’s fury, Rocky’s goons start laughing along as well. 

“I don’t even know how much I owe you, and you won’t tell me either! Am I supposed to just blindly give you my money until you feel like you’ve collected enough? I don’t think that’s fair!” Younghyun says, a sudden wave of overwhelming frustration causing his voice to rise.

“We don’t care what you think, sweetheart,” Rocky says in a sing-song voice and at this point, Younghyun just wants to punch his stupid face. “We make the rules here and, yes, we will tell you once we feel like we have collected enough. Maybe you can summon your father from whatever hole he had dug for himself and ask him exactly how much he owes us.”

Positively lightheaded with anger, Younghyun yells, “I’m not going to give you a single cent of my hard-earned money until you tell me how much my father still owes you!”

Rocky starts advancing again, so Younghyun clenches his hands into fists, gearing up to fight. But even before it could escalate, a new voice rents the air, causing Rocky to stop in his tracks and slowly turn around to look at the newcomer. 

“Is everything alright here, gentlemen?”

Younghyun cranes his head, wanting to see the face of the newcomer. Whoever he is, he saved Younghyun.

The alleway is mostly consumed by darkness, the only thing that illuminates the space is the distant glow from a streetlight on the main street. The newcomer is standing where the alleyway meets the main street and even when Younghyun squints, he could barely make out his face. But his silhouette is vivid enough to let him know that he is someone who could help Younghyun fight Rocky and his goons. He isn’t tall but he seems well-built.

Being closer to the main street, Rocky could see the man better and Younghyun somehow feels relieved when he hears how overly-friendly Rocky sounds when he says, “Of course, officer. We’re just a group of good friends having a chat.”

Officer?

Younghyun makes a quick decision to take a leap of fate and cry out, “Officer! We’re not friends! They’re trying to mug me!”

That seems to catch Rocky and his goons off guard, so Younghyun takes advantage of their stunned state, slipping away from them. Even before Rocky’s pea brain could react, Younghyun is already standing next to the newcomer. Only then does Younghyun get a better view of him and he feels himself relaxing even more upon seeing that he is indeed a police officer. A rather attractive one with kind, sparkling eyes.

“Oh, Younghyun, always such a joker, Younghyun!” Rocky says, forcing a laugh as he claps Younghyun on the back. “He’s just clowning you, officer! We got into a little disagreement and now he’s being sulky.”

Rocky tries to pull him by the arm but Younghyun manages to dodge him by hiding behind the officer. 

“Officer, please save me! This man is creepy! He’s not my friend,” Younghyun tells him.

Younghyun puts his hands on the officer’s shoulder but they get shaken off when the officer defensively takes a few steps away from him. Rocky groans, feigning a joking tone but his real personality is already seeping through the cracks of his fake nice guy facade. 

“Come on, man! Stop kidding around,” he says, almost growling towards the end.

Younghyun scowls at Rocky defiantly until the officer finally speaks up.

“Well,” the officer says, effectively catching Younghyun’s eye, “he obviously does not want to be in your presence. I don’t want any fight escalating here, so I suggest you boys run along now and leave him alone. Hash out your disagreement some other time.”

Rocky and his goons look at each other, as if discussing without words whether to fight or just walk away. Sure, this officer is well-built and can probably throw down a punch but he is outnumbered. Younghyun clenches his hands, bending his legs a bit as if bracing himself for a possible fight. Fortunately, the group of goons seem to have come to the impressively wise decision to let this one go. 

“Alright, officer,” Rocky says. He gives the officer a fake smile which makes him look like a gorilla in a leather jacket. He then turns to Younghyun, nodding and still sporting that pretentious kind expression on his face while his eyes are silently giving him death threats. “We’ll see you around, Younghyun.”

One by one, Rocky and his goons disperse, each of them giving Younghyun a lingering look full of malice.

Once they turn a corner, the officer looks at Younghyun, pretty eyes scanning him from head to toe. “Are you hurt?” he asks. 

Younghyun’s heart involuntarily swells, finding the officer’s thoughtfulness really sweet. Committing those pretty eyes to memory, Younghyun answers, “No, officer. I’m fine—thanks to you, of course! Who knows what could’ve happened to me had you not shown up like my knight in shining armor?”

Whatever force made him say that, Younghyun does not know but he immediately wants to swallow his words back because the officer is now looking at him with an expression of someone who is both confused and uncomfortable. Seeing that, Younghyun looks away in embarrassment.

“Right,” the officer says, making Younghyun look up again only to see him awkwardly burying his hands in his pockets. “Off you go too then. Try to stay out of trouble.”

With that, the officer walks away, hands still in his pocket.

A bright smile stretching his lips, Younghyun calls out after him, “Okay! I will not get in trouble! I’ll be good! Thank you again, officer! See you around, officer!”

The officer does not turn around or reply to that and Younghyun is glad because he does not want to have to look at those pretty eyes and feel guilty for the things he is about to do now. 

Younghyun’s smile slowly turns into a pout as he drags his feet to walk towards the building where he is currently working part-time. He is a fortune-teller there—of course, Younghyun does not possess any psychic abilities. He cannot see the future through the foggy crystal ball or interpret what the lines on a person’s palm mean either. Younghyun can’t even read tarot cards because he sucks at recognizing what in the world is drawn on them! Instead, he merely employs his great acting skills and rich imagination to bullshit his way through readings. Younghyun knows that it’s a rather shady job but it certainly helps him keep a roof over his head. Moreover, the commission he gets from peddling the fortune-telling shop’s gimmicky products (which do not work at all) allows him to eat more than three meals a day.

As soon as he saves up enough money to pay his father’s debt, Younghyun will stop doing shady jobs and restart his journey towards becoming a successful musician. 

For now, though, this is his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I started another story and yes, park bros are exes here. I hope you find it interesting so far ^_^ 
> 
> If you are craving for more sungbri, you may visit me @cheapsungbri on twitter! 
> 
> See you in the next update!


	2. a request

The end of Younghyun’s shift could not come any sooner. His seventh customer for the day finally leaves with her shoulders despondently slumped while her arms are laden with purchases from the shop. Younghyun told her that she would be having a not-so-nice first half of the year owing to the fact that she would be facing health and career issues. Knowing this caused her to become rather desperate to ward off the bad fortune as best as she could so, without sparing it much thought, the customer bought whatever Younghyun had recommended. In the end, she left with hundreds of dollars worth of a variety of merchandise such as a solve-all potion and a ‘gold’ necklace with a ‘tribal ivory’ pendant.

The truth is, when Younghyun peered into his crystal ball, he saw not the poor woman’s dreadful future, but a glimpse of his own distorted, weary face. He had been so tired—not to mention very hungry as well—that his brain had a harder time than usual when he tried to conjure a fake fortune for the woman. Luckily, his acting skills had been believable enough that he was able to sell the overly ridiculous visions he claimed to see in the crystal ball. 

But now, Younghyun’s energy is completely depleted. What he wants and needs at the moment is to eat six or seven or maybe eight packs of instant noodles, then wrap himself in several layers of blankets like a burrito and roll around his bed until he falls asleep. All of that sounds heavenly, but right now, he still has to suffer through the remaining half hour of his shift; Younghyun hopes that no customer will walk in anymore or the session might stretch to more than half an hour.

Younghyun longingly looks through the glass door where merry-looking groups of friends and sweet couples are passing by every now and then. Their excited chatter would occasionally squeeze their way through the cracks under the shop’s windows and Younghyun would be overcome with an intense desire to just burst out the door and have fun. 

Make music, sing and put on a performance in exchange for a few pennies that strangers would drop into an overturned bowler hat. Maybe a scouting agent would approach him and offer to sign him into their agency and because he is so good, they would allow him a lot of creative freedom. He would sell a lot of records which would earn him a lot of money and Rocky along with his pesky loan sharks goons w—

“Make sure to lock up and turn off all the lights when you finish your shift.”

A throaty voice permeates the dreamy atmosphere, causing Younghyun to emerge from his trance with a start. He looks around and sees the head of his boss, Kwangsoo, peeking through a tiny crevice which materialized from what appeared to be a solid wall.

“Yes, sir,” Younghyun answers, nodding slightly.

Kwangsoo acknowledges it with a curt tilt of his chin. He almost disappears into the back room once again but he halts, giving Younghyun a questioning look with his eyes slightly narrowed. “Sold a lot today?”

Sitting up a little straighter, Younghyun proudly declares, “Almost a thousand dollars!”

Evidently pleased at his employee’s performance, Kwangsoo unctuously grins at Younghyun. “Good boy. I’ll give your bonus tomorrow.”

Not allowing Younghyun to say anything bad, Kwangsoo vanishes back into the passage, leaving him in the stillness of the fortune-telling part of the shop once again. 

Twenty minutes. 

Younghyun is straining his ears, trying to catch any sound that might give him a clue as to what his boss is up to back there. He is, however, met with nothing but pure silence. He unconsciously lets his eyes wander back to the wall where Kwangsoo disappeared moments ago. To outsiders who would usually not spare it a second glance, it may appear to be just another part of the wall. Solid. No secrets to be discovered.

But Younghyun knows that behind it is the shop’s ‘lounge room’. 

Younghyun had been told that there are more valuable _products_ in there. Its door is utterly inconspicuous, covered with the same horrible wallpaper as the entire shop and would open only for Kwangsoo. There are times when important-looking people, flanked by gigantic bodyguards, would arrive and they would instantly be escorted by the Kwangsoo into the back room. Undoubtedly rich men and women, their eyes hidden behind huge sunglasses. They would never tilt their heads in Younghyun’s direction; they always acted as though he did not exist. They would dwell there for hours and hours on end—sometimes even past shop hours, even after Younghyun finishes cleaning up.

Of course, Younghyun is dying with curiosity about what really happens there. But no matter what, he is forbidden from entering the lounge room. Time and time again, Kwangsoo would remind Younghyun that he is prohibited from even attempting to touch the secret passage. 

After working here for several weeks already, Younghyun is willing to bet on his life that an illicit business is taking place in the lounge room. It is probably some sort of a brothel for freaks where hardcore drugs and alcohol are also being sold. He is certain that the fortune-telling part is just a cover up so that the law enforcement could not bust them so easily.

Sure, a fortune-telling shop which sells strange, overpriced products is indeed ridiculous and fishy but innocent enough for authorities to not look further into. 

For the second time that day, Younghyun’s thoughts are interrupted. The little bell above the shop’s glass door tinkles and a man in a black hoodie and jeans walks in, looking a bit sheepish as he says, “Still open?” 

Despite the murderous thoughts he is having for this customer who is walking in ten minutes before closing time, Younghyun still fixes himself to sit properly and attempts to put on his signature dreamy-fortune-teller look on his face.

With a breathy voice accented with a lilting tone, Younghyun says, “Greetings. I’ve met you through my inner eye even before you walked—”

The other half of his sentence dies in his throat when the stranger walks further into the shop and stands beneath the purplish light of the store. Just a few feet away from Younghyun is the same police officer whom he had an encounter with just a couple of days ago when he had been stuck cornered in an alleyway by Rocky and his goons. Even if the man is no longer in his uniform, Younghyun would never forget the doe-like eyes and the prominent nose.

“O-Officer?” Younghyun stutters out. 

Suddenly, Younghyun remembers the day he got hired; Kwangsoo gave him a binder filled with photos of people that Younghyun ought to be wary of.

“Members of the organized crime division,” was what Kwangsoo said in reply to Younghyun’s puzzled expression. “We ain’t doing anything seriously illegal over here but them law enforcers are way too eager to arrest someone. They have a certain hunger for catching us small time fraudsters to compensate for their incompetence in catching the big fishes.”

Younghyun did not say anything as he browsed through the binder and read the names written at the bottom of the photos. Some of them had been proper headshots, while some were obviously taken in secret.

“When they come sniffing into our shop, make the session as short as possible and do _not_ sell them anything. Watch their hands carefully and as soon as they leave the premises, look for any bugs that they could have planted in the shop.”

Back to the present, Younghyun cautiously watches as the officer sits himself into the chair across him. This one does not resemble any of the officers in the binder. Indeed, there is the possibility that he could have just forgotten—but then again, someone with a face as handsome as this one would not be so easily discarded by Younghyun’s brain.

With half his brain already turned into mush, Younghyun thoughtlessly blurts out, “I believe we’ve met.”

An expression of mixed surprise and interest appears on the officer’s face. He shifts in his seat, but Younghyun could barely register the creaks of the rickety chair for his heart seems to be drumming in between his ears, where his brain should have been.

“Yes,” is the officer’s response after wiping the surprise off of his handsome face. “If I recall correctly, your friends back in the alleyway called you Younghyun, right?”

Hearing his real name spilling out of the officer’s mouth, Younghyun’s feels as though his chest suddenly opens up and his heart comes bouncing out. He usually uses the alias ‘Brian’ when he is working not only because it does not feel right to be using the name his parents gave him whenever he is scamming people, but also because Kwangsoo asked him to come up with one for ‘security purposes’.

But thanks to stupid Rocky and his equally dumb gang of goons, this officer knows his birth name and remembers it very clearly. 

Younghyun must have been spacing out because the officer soon clears his throat. He flinches at the sound, almost certain that he would hear him announcing that he is under arrest for being a fraud and for overcharging people for products that do not work.

“Why do you look like you’re about to die?” the officer says, tone quizzical yet taunting at the same time.

Younghyun _does_ feel like he is about to die. He feels as though a gun is pointed at him and that he would get shot if he does as much as blink. Younghyun hates it; this is the first time that an officer—at least one that he knows _is_ an officer—ever walked into the shop and he is utterly at a loss on how he should be acting right now.

“I’m just here for a reading,” the officer says when Younghyun remains speechless.

Younghyun opens his mouth, then he tries to close it but he cannot. He is just a fish out of water, caught in a lie by a very handsome officer. Younghyun shakes his head, unsure if his inability to function properly is due to fear of being arrested or because the person who might arrest him looks hella good.

Then, the officer gives him a glorious bail out of his rather embarrassing inability to get over the initial shock.

“Well, you’re quieter than I expected,” he says. “Are you perhaps being overwhelmed by how unfortunate my year has been so far? Seeing horrible visions, are you?”

Younghyun seizes the opportunity similar to how a drowning man would cling onto a life raft. He digs his fingers into it and pulls himself out of the water. 

“Yes,” Younghyun finally speaks. His voice still sounds shaky, owing to the fact that his heartbeat continues to beat more than a hundred times per minute. But this works in his favor since his breathlessness does make it seem like he is indeed seeing the future in his _inner eye_. 

“Terrible, terrible things. Mostly in your career but there is also some tragedy in your personal life. I’m so sorry.”

The officer’s face remains stoic but that does not discourage Younghyun, especially when he gets a sudden burst of inspiration. 

“May I know your name? It would really help me get a much clearer view of your future.”

Younghyun does not expect the officer to give him his real name so it comes as a surprise when, without missing a beat, the officer answers, “Sungjin.”

It’s only when he adds, “You may call me Detective Park if you want,” that the sick feeling in Younghyun’s gut returns.

This detective, Sungjin, obviously means business. He does not try to conceal his identity, no doubt sending a signal to Younghyun that the police are not fools, that they are perfectly aware of what goes on in the fortune-telling shop.

“So, do you see me finally getting over this bad slump anytime soon?” Sungjin presses on.

Younghyun’s eyes trail down on the tabletop where Sungjin’s long fingers are unconsciously fidgeting with one another. Driven by yet another burst of inspiration, Younghyun says, “Give me your hand, please. I need the guidance of your life line.”

Sungjin stares at him for a few seconds, but holds out his left hand nevertheless. Younghyun’s hands are trembling when he reaches out but upon contact with Sungjin’s, he immediately feels the heat radiating from it, the sensation is akin to a flame lovingly lapping at the tips of his fingers until his hands are suffused with warmth, until they become steady. Sungjin’s hand is neither rough nor soft and Younghyun traces the lines on it more out of fascination than actually trying to read the fortune inscribed on them. 

“Great things...great things,” Younghyun whispers, closing his eyes for dramatic effect. “I see your career taking off, Detective Park. Seems like you are going to catch a lot of bad guys this year and I definitely sense a promotion by the end of summer.”

Mentally patting himself on the back for managing to come up with that despite the panic within, Younghyun lets go of Sungjin’s hand. In turn, Sungjin straightens up, looking rather amused.

“It seems like you are not a complete fraud after all,” Sungjin says. 

Call Younghyun crazy but Sungjin’s words seem to have more meaning than he lets on.

“I am not a fraud!” Younghyun protests, feigning hurt as he rests his own smaller, rather pudgy hand on his chest.

“When did I ever accuse you of being a fraud?” Sungjin shoots back. 

Feeling somehow wronged, Younghyun cries out, “You just said—” but he thinks that arguing with a detective about his credibility is probably not a good way to use up what little energy he still has.

“Nevermind.”

He _is_ a fraud, after all.

Instead of asking more questions about Younghyun’s ‘visions’ about his future, however, Sungjin proceeds to stand up and, to Younghyun’s horror, begins walking around the shop with his hands in his pockets. He skims over the products perched upon tall, wooden shelves.

Making matters even worse, Sungjin chooses to linger in front of the shelf next to the invisible door of the lounge room. If Kwangsoo or any of his VIP guests are making loud noises in there, Sungjin might hear it and raise his suspicion. 

“Will any of these improve my chances of getting over this terrible period in my life? Do you have any recommendations, _Younghyun_?”

The way Sungjin puts emphasis on every syllable of Younghyun’s name makes him extremely uneasy. Then, Sungjin suddenly looks over his shoulder and Younghyun notices that he has a bottle in his hand—the Solve-All Potion. After raising it up to the purplish light, Sungjin turns the bottle and a look of amusement passes through his features. Younghyun, on the other hand, knows that Sungjin must have read the label; by now, he just wants a great hole to open up on the ground and devour him alive.

“A universal juice which can cure cancer, diabetes, heart disease...gingivitis and bad luck?” Sungjin drawls out, almost snorting as he finishes reading the label.

Younghyun is not well-versed when it comes to the law but one does not need to be a lawyer in order to know that selling products which mislead consumers is probably illegal. But no matter, he is here now, he got himself into this situation. 

Might as well own up to this shit show. 

Throwing all caution to the wind, Younghyun claims, “It has very special powers. Five drops of it into your drink of choice every morning and watch your life change for the best.”

If he is not too busy trying to keep himself together, Younghyun would have given Sungjin credit for not outright laughing at the absurdity of what was said. He watches him raise his thick eyebrows, lips pursing as he looks at the bottle in his hand again. 

“Do you have any other recommendation?” Sungjin says when he’s done perusing the shelves. “You’ve seen how horrible my life has been recently so I might need more help than this solve-all potion.”

Not wanting to allow the detective to collect more evidence, Younghyun shakes his head. “It is a solve-all potion so there would be no need to purchase anything else.”

“If you say so,” Sungjin says, shrugging as he makes his way back to the table. “Oh, and are all the ingredients in this potion approved by the right authorities?”

Younghyun is a firm believer of the saying ‘go big or go home’, and so he jumps, pirouetting into the madness that he has already started. “It is a special potion which requires no approval from any earthly authority.”

But Sungjin persists, “Okay, but I also noticed that there is nothing about allergens on the label. I’ll have you know that my partner has a lot of allergies—almost allergic to everything—and he would not appreciate it very much if this solve-all potion would end up making him look like a puffer fish.” 

Perhaps if he makes his statements absurd enough, he could plead not guilty by reason of insanity. “Again, it is a special potion with special powers. It is not bound to silly earthly concepts such as allergies.” 

Younghyun knows that he ought to stop running his mouth now before he incriminates himself even more, but he just cannot help his terrible habit of talking so much shit whenever he feels threatened. 

“If it’s sanitation that you’re worried about, you don’t need to worry since I made those potions myself and I assure you that I always wash my hands very well and thoroughly sterilize the tools I use in brewing them.”

After hearing Younghyun say all that, Sungjin does not say anything immediately. He merely looks as if he is thinking about how stupid as well as pitiful Younghyun is. 

The silence stretches on for several more moments to the point that Younghyun starts to distractedly wonder if his favorite Japanese restaurant will still be open by the time he finally gets off work. He really is hungry and this whole ordeal with Detective Park Sungjin is just deepening the emptiness in his belly. 

Younghyun puts his hands together, saying a silent prayer to whoever is out there to just please, please help him get out of this alive and he will gladly look for a more decent job the very next day—actually, the day after tomorrow since he still has to get the bonus Kwangsoo promised him.

“How much for the potion and the reading then?” Sungjin says, his voice sounding slightly distant after Younghyun has spaced out for quite a while. 

“Fifty bucks,” Younghyun says after deciding to knock off half of its original price. 

Without saying anything, Sungjin produces his wallet from his back pocket. He slaps a hundred dollar bill on the table.

“Keep the change. You seem like you really need the money.”

Younghyun should probably be offended by that but he is just too relieved to finally see the broad back of Sungjin stalking out of the shop to care about his pride.

*** 

Upon returning to the patrol car, Sungjin really did not have any expectation of getting a pat on the back or a single praise from Jaehyung. Such is the relationship between the two of them even back when they were still together, _together_. Jaehyung had other ways of expressing his affection and so did Sungjin, and it worked for a while. It took over two years for them to realize that they have enough chemistry to be great friends but just not enough to be lovers.

Again, Sungjin really is not expecting any praise from Jaehyung especially not when he blew his cover and this Younghyun guy remembered him to be the police officer he had an encounter with a few days ago. But Sungjin honestly expected to get something better than being told to shut up and get in the car.

Jaehyung had been in the passenger seat when Sungjin left earlier so it is only natural for him to ask why he is suddenly behind the steering wheel.

“I know you can drive, but I don’t think you’re good enough for me to be comfortable in entrusting my life to you,” Sungjin says, one eyebrow raised.

Jaehyung, probably taking offense at the remark, irritably repeats with a little more force, “Shut up and get in the damn car or I’m running you over.”

Now, Sungjin is grumpily sitting in the passenger seat as Jaehyung swerves to the left to avoid running over a woman and her poodle crossing the street. Jaehyung sure knows how to drive but he is not the best at it. He once drove into a particularly deep gutter and subsequently lost the side mirror of his car to a sign post. 

“You’re not even going to ask me where we’re going?” Jaehyung breaks the silence as they cruise through a busy main road.

“Didn’t you tell me to shut up?” Sungjin shoots back. 

Jaehyung sighs and says, “Sorry.” 

Taken aback at the sudden apology, Sungjin glances at him sideways, silently wondering what has gotten into Jaehyung.

“Hana called,” Jaehyung begins. “Seems like you neglected to mention to her that we are no longer together, Sungjin.”

“If that’s what you’re mad about—”

“No, no. I’m not mad, Sungjin. I’m just…” Jaehyung trails off as he checks the car’s GPS before abruptly taking a left. The car behind them screeches to a halt and furiously honks at them.

“Jaehyung!” Sungjin yells in alarm, looking over his shoulder in time to see the car’s driver flashing his middle finger at them. “You’re going to kill us! Just tell me where we’re going and I’ll drive!”

“I’m sorry! You know I suck at driving in this country!” Jaehyung shouts back, his knuckles turning white as he grips the wheel tighter in frustration.

“Jaehyung, seriously, where are we going?” Sungjin demands when he notices that they are traversing a very familiar road.

The road is quickly becoming wider and the number of cars driving on them are diminishing. Instead of tall apartment buildings, the patrol car is now speeding through big houses with manicured lawns and wide driveways.

“I told you—Hana called!” Jaehyung replies. 

“And do you want to go to my family’s house just to tell everyone that we’re not together anymore?” Sungjin says, looking at Jaehyung incredulously.

Jaehyung calms down a bit when he says, “No, Sungjin. Why would I make you do that?”

The Park residence is now in sight. With his confusion mounting ever higher, Sungjin runs his fingers through his hair. He wishes Jaehyung would just tell him what is going on so he could stop feeling like an animal caught in a trap. 

Jaehyung stops a few blocks away from the house and after shifting the gear in park, he turns to Sungjin with a rather solemn look on his face. Sungjin raises his eyebrows, urging Jaehyung to spit out whatever it is that he wants to say.

“Hana called because Grandfather had another stroke,” he finally speaks. “Apparently, you ignored your father when he told you about the first one. To make sure that you would really go see Grandfather, Hana asked me to drag your ass over here.”

A moment of bewildered silence, and when realization dawns on Sungjin, he says, “So father was not lying about Grandfather having a stroke?”

Looking back, Sungjin now feels rather stupid for thinking that way. This intensifies even more when he catches Jaehyung giving him a brief look which suggests how he is now thinking about how right he had been when he made the choice to dump Sungjin.

Managing to get his face to look solemn once more, Jaehyung tells Sungjin, “No, he was not lying about that. The first stroke was not that serious but Hana told me that the second one left Grandfather in a much worse state—which is why he is insisting so hard to speak to you.”

When Sungjin does not say anything anymore, Jaehyung starts driving again. The tall gates of the Park residence immediately part when they pull up.

A maid greets them at the entrance, asking if they want to drink or eat something. Sungjin politely declines and so does Jaehyung. The moment the wooden front door closes behind them with a heavy thud, Sungjin suddenly feels as though he is thrown over the edge of a cliff and is now struggling to keep his head above the raging waves of a turbulent sea. The tall walls and the high ceiling seem to close in on him, bittersweet memories seem to seep through the immaculate paint. 

Dripping, dripping, fat drops of recollection onto the marble floor, making it dangerously slippery. 

As the maid leads them through the labyrinth of staircases and endless rooms with closed doors, the memories are becoming more and more vivid and Sungjin swears he can hear his mother’s voice carrying down the long hallways. Images of her are now gushing through gaping holes in the ceiling. They refuse to stop coming even when they make Sungjin’s legs feel heavy—as though he is wading through a flood—even when they seem to weigh against his chest and breathing becomes almost impossible.

“About time!”

Suddenly, Hana is holding him by his shoulders, regarding him with a look of worry and slight disappointment on her face—a spitting image of their mother; Sungjin hates seeing that expression on her.

“Are you alright? You’re so pale,” she says as her eyes roam all over his person. 

Sungjin takes a deep breath, willing himself to shake off the memories and surface back to the present. He attempts to apologize to Hana but he only manages to stammer incoherently. She just shakes her head, letting him know that there is no need to apologize or explain. She then graciously turns to Jaehyung, giving him a smile, an unspoken appreciation for his effort to bring Sungjin over.

Not many words are exchanged between the siblings. Hana quickly directs Sungjin into Grandfather’s bedroom.

It was almost unbearably warm inside and the thick curtains are all concealing the floor-length windows on the eastern side of the spacious room. There is only a lone lamp by Grandfather’s bed but the ghostly light from the life-support machines are illuminating the space around the bed just fine.

Hana is holding Sungjin by the arm—undoubtedly to both give and receive support—as they walk closer to where their Grandfather is. The machines are beeping, offbeat, as if racing with one another. There are tubes and wires connecting them to various parts of the old man’s body. Upon seeing how much weight Grandfather lost since the last time he had seen him, Sungjin can feel his heart clenching with dread. 

There is no doubt that Grandfather is old and could very well be approaching the end of his life. Grandfather had always been so strong and lively, and Sungjin is having a hard time processing this new reality.

Once they reach Grandfather’s bedside, Hana lets go of Sungjin’s arm. She gives him a gentle push forward before whispering that she would take her leave now. Sungjin looks back at her, wanting to protest since he is uncertain if he can face this alone, but Hana is already slipping through the small opening of the door.

Grandfather is staring at him when Sungjin looks back. His eyes are a bit unfocused, tired and uneven but Sungjin can tell that he is fighting hard to stay awake and keep looking at his favorite grandchild.

“I thought you do not care about me anymore,” he says in a slow but steady voice.

“That is not true, Grandfather,” Sungjin softly says. “Of course, I care about you. More than I care about anyone else in this family. I’m so sorry for not coming at once.”

Grandfather closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “I’m still weak and my energy is limited. I hope you can...forgive me if I get on with it.”

“Yes, Grandfather. You may go on. I’m listening,” Sungjin says, leaning closer to hear his voice better. 

“I did not summon you here to force you to take over the business,” Grandfather says, letting out a chuckle but it quickly turns into a wheezing fit.

“Grandfather,” Sungjin says, wanting to soothe him, but he cannot help the weak smile that stretches his lips upon seeing that the light in his Grandfather’s eyes are not completely extinguished yet.

“That responsibility is now on your sister’s lap. I think she is _destined_ to be my successor,” Grandfather continues when he recovers.

Sungjin grins at Grandfather, feeling happy as well as proud of his sister.

Grandfather continues, “But I do want a wish of mine fulfilled before I pass. I believe that only you can do it.”

“Whatever it may be, I promise to do my best,” Sungjin eagerly says. 

“I know that you have chosen your profession because of your passion to fight crime which, forgive me if I’m wrong, stemmed from the tragic way we lost your mother and your aunt.”

Oh. 

Sungjin averts his eyes, looking down at his shoes. The untimely deaths of his mother and aunt have casted a long, sinister shadow over the lives of every member of their family. It lingers even now, stalking and whispering like a curse that can never be broken. 

Almost fifteen years ago, their lifeless bodies were found dumped on a port. It was later discovered that they did not die of natural causes. Although the case has since gone cold and investigators miserably failed to follow up on any decent lead that they had, they did find out that Sungjin’s aunt had a son. But that was it.

Their murderer still walks free and Sungjin’s cousin is still lost.

“Among us all, I bear the greatest guilt. It was I who had driven them away. I led them to their wretched fate. If only I did not do the things that I did, you and your sister might still have your mother. The blood is on my hands.”

Deep down, Sungjin knows that his Grandfather indeed does have his own share in this mess. But he isn’t about to tell a man on his sickbed that. Besides, his Grandfather has been the best parent figure to Sungjin ever since he lost his mother. 

“Grandfather, please don’t say that,” Sungjin whispers, resting a tender hand on Grandfather’s shoulder.

The old man shakes his head. “I have made it my life’s work to make up for what I have done by raising you and Hana on behalf of your mother—”

“And you have done a great job, Grandfather,” Sungjin quickly says. 

“Thank you, Sungjin. You truly are my favorite grandchild,” he says, giving him a somber smile. “But your cousin…”

Somehow, Sungjin already had an inkling as to what Grandfather’s request might be. He knows that Grandfather is putting millions of dollars into the search for his aunt’s lost son; he seems to think that finding him equates to getting justice and closure.

“Find him for me, will you?” Grandfather says, tears escaping his eyes and sliding down onto his pillow. “Before I die, I want to see how he turned out. Find him and make sure that he is taken care of even after I go.”

To be quite frank, Sungjin thinks it nearly impossible to find his lost cousin. He could have been murdered as well, his body dumped elsewhere, buried and labeled as ‘John Doe’. There is also the possibility that he is with his mother’s murderer; it would be a difficult task indeed to find someone who is determined to stay hidden forever.

“Promise me, Sungjin,” Grandfather says, his tone almost begging as he looks at him imploringly. “Promise me.”

If finding his lost cousin would bring Grandfather the peace of mind that has evaded him for a long time, then Sungjin will leave no stone unturned in order to give him that.

“I promise, Grandfather.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry the next chapter took forever >.< but I hope you still enjoyed reading it anyway!
> 
> This will be loosely inspired by an old drama but I won't be telling which one since it might spoil what will unfold in the coming chapters. But if you know, then you know ;)


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